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Uncategorized Published - 8 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: The effectiveness of ambulatory continuous peripheral nerve blocks for postoperative pain management in children and adolescents

Published in Paediatr Anaesth. 2014 Nov;24(11):1141-8 Authors: Visoiu M et al BACKGROUND: Ambulatory continuous peripheral nerve blocks (CPNBs) are feasible for pediatric patients. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of CPNBs in a pediatric population. METHODS: This retrospective report of 33-month prospectively collected data investigates patient, parent, and nurse pain control satisfaction score (PCSS), the […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: Eye Color a Potential Cue to Pain Tolerance

Physicians often flag patients with red hair, given its understood role as a biomarker for resistance to anesthetics; now, new research suggests that eye color may indicate how individuals will respond to pain as well. According to the results of a recent study involving 58 pregnant, white women—24 with dark-colored eyes (brown or hazel) and […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: Long-Term Opioid Rx Can Promote Good Patient Outcomes

In Chronic Noncancer Pain—but Choose Patients Carefully Long-term opioid treatment can produce positive outcomes in chronic noncancer pain when physicians prescribe it carefully to individuals who have low risks for addiction and overdose, according to the results of a systematic review. Andrea Furlan, MD, PhD, and her colleagues searched Medline, EMBASE, CINAHI, PsycINFO, Central and […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: Long-Term Opioid Rx Can Promote Good Patient Outcomes

In Chronic Noncancer Pain—but Choose Patients Carefully Long-term opioid treatment can produce positive outcomes in chronic noncancer pain when physicians prescribe it carefully to individuals who have low risks for addiction and overdose, according to the results of a systematic review. Andrea Furlan, MD, PhD, and her colleagues searched Medline, EMBASE, CINAHI, PsycINFO, Central and […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: Better HCAHPS Scores Protect Revenue

It has always been a moral imperative for hospitals and health systems to provide a high-quality patient experience, but now that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is tying reimbursements to HCAHPS scores, it’s becoming a financial priority, as well. Through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, patients rate their […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: Does pterygopalatine canal injection with local anaesthetic and adrenaline decrease bleeding during functional endoscopic sinus surgery?

Published in J Laryngol Otol. 2014 Sep;128(9):814-7 Authors: Valdes CJ et al OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of pterygopalatine fossa injection with xylocaine and adrenaline on: surgical field bleeding and blood loss during functional endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis, and the duration of the procedure. METHODS: A prospective, single-blinded, controlled trial was performed in […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Noncancer Pain: AAN Policy Statement

A position paper from the American Academy of Neurology on the prescription of opioids for noncancer pain outlines “best practices” clinicians should follow to reduce patients’ risk for opioid overdose. These practices, published in Neurology, are: • At each patient visit, track pain and function using a validated instrument, and document the dose of all […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: New Guidelines Address Hip Fractures in Older Adults

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons issued a new, evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) on hip fracture diagnosis and treatment in patients aged 65 years and older. This CPG includes a strong recommendation for preoperative regional analgesia to achieve pain control without increasing the risk for delirium, which is not currently the standard of care […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: FDA, DEA Crack Down on Hydrocodone-Combo Drugs

The AMA opposes the reclassification of hydrocodone combination products, but placing tighter prescribing rules on drugs such as Vicodin and oxycodone sends a strong message to physicians about the drugs’ high potential for abuse. The combination of a new federal law placing stricter requirements on prescription drugs containing hydrocodone and a new statement criticizing the […]

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Uncategorized Published - 6 October, 2014    By - Dr. Clemens
Anesthesia Management: Are hospitals safer than ambulatory surgical centers?

The death of Joan Rivers has increased scrutiny of outpatient medical centers and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to PBS Newshour. “It can be kind of tricky for patients to tell the difference between what is a hospital [and] what’s an outpatient surgery center,” Shannon Pettypiece of Bloomberg News told Newshour. ASCs differ from hospitals […]

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